The World Food Programme (WFP) has initiated an emergency operation to provide essential food assistance to over 800,000 individuals in Gaza and the West Bank who are facing challenging conditions marked by food and water scarcity and shortages of basic supplies.
According to the United Nations Information Center, the WFP has called for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to facilitate the entry of aid and humanitarian assistance into Gaza, along with ensuring a safe and unobstructed passage for its staff and essential goods.
In a statement, the WFP underscored the urgent need to secure access and funding to support those in need, emphasizing a requirement of approximately $17.3 million in the coming four weeks to address this critical situation.
Collaborating with UNRWA, the WFP has been distributing ready-to-eat food items to 73,000 displaced individuals in Gaza’s shelters. Concerns have arisen regarding the depletion of vital resources in the city, including food, water, and electricity, exacerbated by the severely damaged infrastructure affecting food production, food supplies, and distribution networks.
Samer Abdeljaber, the Country Director of the World Food Programme in Palestine, described the situation as “devastating” and affirmed that the program on the ground is working tirelessly to ensure that those who have fled their homes and are residing in shelters receive the necessary food and assistance to survive.
Abdeljaber added that the program has commenced reaching 180,000 people in collaboration with UNRWA, all of whom are sheltering in facilities, by providing ready-to-eat meals, including fresh bread from bakeries that are still operational in Gaza.
The World Food Programme has also initiated cash transfers benefiting 164,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank, with electronic vouchers redeemable for food items in local stores that are still operational. Concerns have been raised about food shortages in these stores as supplies begin to run out.
The program has committed to providing food assistance in the coming days to 300,000 individuals in host communities, with cash-based platforms to assist other humanitarian partners.
